XML or Stateful bean as a data dump

i would like suggestions regarding the following scenario i am facing. I am picking up some master data from the database layer during server startup and i need to store them for future use. now the question before me is should i keep this data in a xml file or should i keep them in a stateful bean(having the application as a whole as its client). i am tending towards xml cos of the it's less resource necessities but am wary that it needs to be processed each time i need to pick up data while the bean would be able to provide me with the same in form of dvo's.... pls guide and suggest any alternatives if i am going wrong somewhere.